Need Cobra advice (NOW!)

[FlyingSquirrel]

Please don't give any health advice, it'll get this locked.

Ok so here's the deal. I'm a 41 yo male. I quit my job driving a bus, effective 5/16/09, citing health reasons -- chronic back pain, knee pain (have had operations on both knees), high blood pressure, stress, had an atrial fibrillation episode in December '08.

All those reasons were true, however the real reason I quit was that I got a DUI on 2/16/09 which I knew would invalidate my CDL - my employer does not know about this, however if I exercise my Cobra rights I think they might delve deeper and discover this, which might make it impossible to get Cobra. I don't know. I quit drinking on 2/16, started treatment on 4/9 and have been going to AA meetings since 4/11 - have not relapsed so far. However alcoholism is often considered a personal failure, could be used as reasoning to retroactively change my reason for termination. Again, I don't know, I'm just thinking of the worst possible scenario (as I usually do).

So, no biggie, I wasn't gonna do the Cobra 'cause I can't afford it. But something just happened.

I had a sudden onset of severe back pain and diarrhea, which has happened to me before a few times a year. This time, it was accompanied by blood - something I've never had happen. Now the diarrhea is gone but the cramping is still there as is the blood, different colored stool etc. I looked this up and it could possibly be Crohn's disease or colon cancer. Pretty scary.

So I'm planning to go in to the clinic tomorrow. My regular coverage ended 5/31 so I still have till at least 7/31 to get the Cobra.

My question is, should I go to the clinic tomorrow or should I first make sure I get the Cobra coverage? If I get the Cobra coverage after going to the clinic, will it retroactively cover that visit and anything subsequent to it? Will they call it a pre-existing condition? Even though I know I'll have to pay retroactive premiums and the Cobra coverage should be effective on 6/1? Could they deny me?

I've never had to deal with anything like this, so if anyone knows anything about it or has had any similar experience, please let me know.

Thanks - FS

[napi21]

1. I know the Co. I worked for never did any investigating for COBRA.

All we did was send the former employee a bill, and if they paid it, their coverage continued, if they didn't it was canceled at the end of the month. I sure can't speak for other companies though, I just don't know.

[Liberty Belle]

2. I would get the COBRA and play it safe.

your life is worth more than any job recommendation. But chances are they won't look that closely and you do have other colorable reasons for laeving with all the health issues you've had.

That said, if there's a delay in getting appoval and you get any worse, get treatment.

[FlyingSquirrel]

3. So you're saying get the Cobra first before I go in?

That's my main issue. I hear that early detection is important. I don't want to wait too long.

[Heddi]

4. Similar thing just happened to my friend

Her husband was laid off in November, she was laid off in December. They're both now in school for worker retrianing and neither of them have worked or had insurance since being laid off (or whenever their coverage expired)

She has Chron's disease, IBS, all kinds of bowel problems.

She had a flare-up recently and had to be admitted to the hospital, and the MD told her some outpatient GI procedures would need to be done with the possibility of surgery at some point in the near future pretty much a done deal.

Well, they can't afford that.....but she found out she could get COBRA retroactively. She will have to pay the COBRA premiums from the date she was eligible to now (about $1000 in Cobra payments). It will cover all the ER and hospital visits she's had while eligible (but not covered under) COBRA, minus any co-pays.

So it was retroactive to all of her previous ER and hospital stays.

I don't think that COBRA cares why you don't work at your job, and I don't think that you envoking COBRA will make your job look into you at all. Everyone who leaves a job is eligible for COBRA===your job really doesn't care because you're paying for it, including what your employer *was* contributing towards your health care.

When you quit, you should have gotten some COBRA paperwork from your previous health care insurance company. There should be a number to call with any questions. They shouldn't call it a "pre-existing" condition with COBRA if it wasn't considered a pre-existing condition while you had insurance. That should only become an issue with your NEXT job and your NEW insurance, and that's only if they have an issue with pre-existing conditions (I just got new health insurance on Monday. At no time was I asked about any previous surgeries, hospitalizations, medical problems, etc ,so there is no pre-existing condition clause or whatever in my insurance).

Apply for the COBRA now because it may take a few weeks to get everything straightend out, especially if you have to get it or lose it by 7/31.